Purdue students win cash prizes in business incubator challenge
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A better way to handle lab rats. Drones that map forest terrain. An artificial Bible study app.
Those are just some of the projects Purdue University students presented at the Moonshot Pitch Challenge organized by the Purdue Innovates Incubator. The school said it sponsors the challenge as a way for students to get their brains working on solutions to the world’s complex puzzles.
“The Moonshot Pitch Challenge recognizes audacious solutions and the people ideating them,” said Doug Applegate, Innovates Incubator associate director in a statement. “Purdue students are actively analyzing worldwide challenges and diligently working on the giant leaps to address them.”
In a news release Wednesday, Purdue highlighted a number of prize winners:
- MiceWay: A device that restrains mice without needing to hold them. This reduces stress in the animals in laboratory settings and improves both animal safety and the reliability of data. MiceWay creators Shikha Adhikari and Kelly Siddeeq said the contest gave them confidence to know that bringing their product to market is a possibility in the future.
- Digital Silva: A new drone technology that focus on forestry including 3D mapping and species detection.
- Crossroads: An app that uses AI technology to create a personalized Bible-study journey.
- Pooler: “An online banking service designed for pooled money, allowing all group members to see the total. Applications include tournaments, philanthropy events and group purchases.”
All four groups won a $1,500 prize for winning their groups in the competition.